Magic City Blues Society celebrates 25 years

Jamie McMahon, the president of the Magic City Blues Society (MCBS), said when he came to the first MCBS meeting in 1993, he was in his mid-20s and the youngest person in the room by a longshot. 

He jokes even 25 years later, long after their original organization meeting in Five Points South at Zydeco, he’s still the youngest person, with most of the other members a whole generation older than him. 

“If you were around for blues in the ’60s, you may have had some first-hand interaction. For most people, if you were not around for that, you got introduced through rock stars,” he said, explaining people began to realize so many of the famed rock and roll artists of the time were highly influenced by blues songs. “Even if you don’t know it, [blues] is very ingrained in our music.”

Plus, he added, when you hear it, “it’s easy to like and listen to,” even to this day.

Up until the 1960s, the history of the blues was mainly restricted to African American culture, he said, but by the 1980s, McMahon started going to downtown Birmingham and listening to blues music live at various bars and delis.

“All those kinds of things were happening in the late ’80s, early ’90s, and to have a chance to see these guys that were just, you know, living legends, it made a huge impact on me at the time. I’m very grateful I was around for some of that,” he said.

That’s one reason why, he said, MCBS continues to share the legacy of the blues in Birmingham.

As a grassroots organization, McMahon said, it was created to support and appreciate the role the blues played nationally and locally as a unique American art form. McMahon said they have about 200 members total, and a loyal crew of about 50 people who show up to almost every one of their annual events. Any and everyone interested in the blues is welcome to join.

“When people talk about blues music, they tend to think about Mississippi and Chicago. Those are the two biggest homes for it historically, but it is very much a southern thing,” he said. 

“Alabama has a long, proud history of having some role in that.”

Plus, McMahon said, there are a handful of older musicians around town who still play the blues, people who have been in the music business for more than 50 years and chose to stay in the city of Birmingham. Supporting these artists and encouraging them to keep telling their stories and sharing the often-forgotten history of the genre is important, McMahon said, especially to younger generations.

In fall 2018, MCBS celebrated their 25th anniversary by booking the legendary Taj Mahal Trio — “one of the two biggest living blues musicians in the world right now,” McMahon said — at Iron City, which brought out a huge crowd of blues fans. 

McMahon said he’s particularly passionate about finding the “sweet spot” in supporting both longtime local acts and national musicians coming through Birmingham who wouldn’t normally play here. 

A popular new MCBS initiative for locals is the monthly coordinated acoustic and electric “open jam sessions” at two different spots in the Five Points South neighborhood: Brennan’s Irish Pub and Ranelli’s Deli & Cafe. During these nights, any local musicians can sign up for a time to sing or play with the band for a while, so they can network and get to know other people in the community who love and support the blues. 

MCBS also puts on four annual free concerts at Phelan Park, McMahon added, which are casual and family-friendly. 

“When we started having these shows in Phelan Park, it was about the same time Dreamland [BBQ] showed up around there. But if you look at what has happened in that area, it’s a lot different than it was 15 to 20 years ago, and I’d like to think the Blues Society had a small role in that,” he said.

The MCBS is also an official affiliate organization to the Blues Foundation, located in Memphis, which holds an annual blues band and singer competition. Each year, a Battle of the Blues Bands is held at Iron City, where local artists compete for the honor to be sent to Memphis for the national competition. 

“Within the genre, it’s a huge deal. We’ve never had a band win it. But some have made it to the finals, the top 10,” McMahon said.

The 2019 competitors from Birmingham included the solo act of Rob Harris and the blues band Yarbrough & Company. Both acts went on to compete in Memphis, in January. 

The society directly sponsors or supports a number of blues-related shows throughout the year, including the Bob Sikes BBQ & Blues Festival in April; BlueStages, their house concert series where members host traveling artists at private residences for intimate performances; and the annual black-tie event called the Blues Ball.

“We are fairly well-known for those [house] shows. Thirty or so people show up and all the money goes to the artists,” he said, adding that the society never takes a cut of any of the events.

In 2019, he wants to shift to a focus on trying to get younger people involved and interested in the blues. To learn more, go to magiccityblues.org or visit their Facebook page for blues events in the city at @MagicCityBluesSociety.